The shattered Matildas have offered departing boss Tony Gustavsson a vote of thanks and support, defending him in the face of fierce criticism after their tame elimination from the Olympics.
The dispirited squad rolled into the Gare de Lyon station in Paris on Thursday after a train journey from the south of France following their previous night's 2-1 defeat by USA that ended their worst Olympics since 2000 and prompted coach Gustavsson’s inevitable exit.
It was a train journey that was supposed to have marked the next leg of their adventure in the knockout stages in the Olympic city itself, but instead proved a brief, what-might-have-been moment on the way to the airport to catch a flight home.
But both assistant coach Mel Andreatta and veteran midfielder Tameka Yallop were quick to pay tribute to Gustavsson, whose tenure had officially ended a few hours earlier after Football Australia announced a mutual decision to part ways.
With the 50-year-old Swede having to shoulder the brunt of the blame for the group-stage flop in which the Matildas were outclassed by both Germany and the USA, Yallop wanted to offer a reminder of what he had achieved in his four years in charge.
“He's had an amazing four-year cycle with us,” Yallop told reporters at the train station. "He's done a lot on and off the field, and we have a lot to thank him for."
Reflecting on their run to last year's home World Cup semi-final, she added: "He really did bring a lot of passion with him from Sweden, and we definitely took advantage of that.
"We've had some amazing finishes at tournaments that we've we hadn't before. We've made history with him. So I know all the girls and the staff are grateful to have had him for the four years.”
Asked about the flak that Gustavsson was now receiving, Andreatta added: “Everyone who pulls on this jersey, green and gold, gives their best and Tony gave his best and that's all we can ask for. I hope people acknowledge that commitment, that effort to do his best - and that's what he did.
Asked why she felt it had been such a disappointing campaign, Yallop said: "I think it just comes down to the fact there's no token teams at the Olympics. Everyone's got a tough group.
"I think we did put our hearts and souls out on the field and you saw that we fought to the end. So while it's disappointing, we didn't take our foot off the pedal. I know we gave it our all and we're still proud of that."
The future for the Matildas is uncertain, though, with a host of 30-somethings in the squad like Yallop, 33.
"Look, we’re at the end of a four-year cycle, everyone's gonna go home, decompress and download everything that's happened and then you kind of reset for the next four-year cycle. For me, I'm still riding the emotions of this tournament," said Yallop when asked about her international future.
